Weight Check

Ellison had her weight check yesterday. We had to go in for this extra appointment because she only gained half a pound between her 4 month and 6 month appointments, even though she started eating solid food in between them. We have since upped the amount of solids she takes at a feed (from 2 tbsp to 4 tbsp of cereal and as much fruit or veggie as she will eat) and she looks/feels like she has gained some weight (and according to my "unofficial" weight at home, she was over 15 pounds - she was 13 lbs, 2 oz at her 6 month appointment). Unfortunately, the scale at the doctor's office did not quite agree - she weighed in at 14 lbs, 3 oz. Her pediatrician was not overly impressed with that weight gain - she only gained about 7 ounces since I took her in when she was sick (she was 13 lbs, 12.5 oz, 5 weeks ago). The doctor was hoping she would gain more than that considering how much food we have been giving her!

I'm guessing part of the problem is that it has become more and more of a struggle to get Ellison to drink milk. She stopped nursing, for the most part, right after her six month birthday. Sometimes she still would once or twice a day, but in the past few weeks she has stopped completely. She was getting extremely distracted and we were both very frustrated with the attempts. I don't think she was getting much milk out of it, either. But we have always fed her at least one bottle a day (more when I work), and she was up to 6-7 ounces at a feed, which she would drink down in just a few minutes. Since upping her solids and starting to just feed her pumped milk, she has dropped from five feeds a day to four most days, and she does not always finish her bottles. If she does, it takes way longer than it used to. This has been a very difficult experience, since I spend a lot of time each day pumping and trying to make sure she has the best food we can give her. To be honest, it makes me feel a little rejected that she not only won't nurse, but she won't even drink a whole bottle! She gets an extra few ounces in her oatmeal, but it just doesn't seem like enough.

So, our pediatrician wants us to add a third feeding of solids a day, which means she will be getting 12 tbsp of oatmeal a day and possibly up to another full container of fruit/veggies. I think she will eat it, because she loves her solid food. But I am worried it will cut back her milk intake even more. She got three "meals" yesterday and finished all three. Hopefully this helps her gain weight by her next appointment in 6 weeks. If she isn't gaining enough, the doctor said they will draw labs and try to figure out if there is something else going on, but she doesn't really seem to think that's the case. She said Ellison is healthy, doesn't look scrawny, and she thinks this is just her and how she is going to grow. So that's what I'm going to hope for! She's tall and skinny...a girl's dream!

Other than that, Ellison is moving quicker and quicker, and getting into everything. This week she discovered the stoppers behind our doors and has been constantly flicking them to make them go up and down. She also likes to pull any magnets she can reach off the refrigerator. Basically she wants to play with anything that is not her toys! She has a new favorite face, which is basically a scrunched up sassy face that sometimes comes complete with huffing and puffing sounds. She does it when she is mad but also seems to know we think it's funny, so she does it when she is not mad too. She is starting to get herself up on her hands and knees now so "real" crawling does not seem far off (yikes!). We are also practicing standing. And her second tooth popped through this week. She is growing up WAY too fast. I can't believe it!!!

Let me outta jail! 

Oh look, she can crawl behind the toy bin...

I see you guys!

Checking out the weekend ads... (she pulled all that stuff off the fridge, of course)

This exersaucer has two levels of fun!

Cutie :)

Why not take a nap on Toy Mountain?

First movie...Finding Nemo!

New favorite face...the sassy scrunch

Zoo time with Mom

7 Months Old!!!

7 months old already! This last month has been a pretty big one for Miss Ellison. Besides learning to sit on her own and starting swimming lessons, Ellison has gotten even more mobile in the past few weeks. She is now army crawling all around and can move pretty quick! She doesn't stay still for long (not even long enough for a diaper change).  She has really become quite the little explorer! She is a very determined little girl and when she sees something she wants, she will be off like a shot to get it. Besides tags, electronics and cords/strings of any kind, which she has been going after for awhile, she now really likes to try and get plates and cups. If we eat in the living room, she will go for them as soon as they get set down. Or even while we are still eating...

Mmm...tacos!

She loves the diaper and wipe holder...

More exploring...

Look Mom! I made it into the kitchen for the first time!!!

Then I tried to barricade her out of the kitchen...didn't work so well.

Ellison also has her first (and possibly also second) tooth coming in! She bit my toe one morning while I was pumping, and I felt something sharp. I looked in her mouth and there it was! Thinking back she had been a little crankier than usual the few days before, but nothing that really made us suspect there was a tooth coming in. She had actually been much LESS drooly than she was a few months ago, so it was a surprise!

Chewing, because I have a TOOTH!

Ells has been more vocal over the past few weeks as well. She has always liked to hear her voice, but now it has become more repetitive syllables than just squeals and noises. She says "babababa" and also something that sounds like "mama"! I wouldn't really say she has said her first word quite yet, but I think she is getting close.

Probably texting someone...with her "smart phone"

We have had two swimming lessons so far and Ellison seems to like them! I wasn't sure she would when I realized how cold the pool was, but she didn't seem to notice. The first day she kicked her feet but held her arms up out of the water, but this week she sort of splashed her arms around too. She really likes to take baths and totally soaks everything around her when she gets one, so I guess I'm not too surprised she likes the pool too!

We got the link for Ellison's professional 6 months pictures and they are amazing!!! I want to make wallpaper for our entire house with them, that's how much I love them. As soon as we place our order and get the CD, I will post some of them. If you can't wait that long, let me know and I will send you the link and password!

We have been having lots of fun in the past few weeks! Most recently, Ellison has seen parts of her first few Packer games, gone swimming in Grandpa Jay's pool for the first time, had a play date in the park with some other baby girls, been to a wedding reception down by the lake, and this weekend we went to Cedarburg Wine & Harvest Festival. It's awesome that the weather is still so nice...we were kind of stuck inside for a lot of summer because it was too hot to take her out (and we were told no sunscreen until 6 months old!), so we are finally getting some outside time! I'm really looking forward to fall. I love football season, cute fall clothes, pumpkin farms, Halloween, and Thanksgiving!!!

Little Packer Backer!

Park playdate with Ava and Evelyn

Cedarburg Wine and Harvest Festival

Boats made out of giant pumpkins - so funny to watch! I loved it!!!

The past 7 months have just been awesome! Jay and I are so lucky and blessed! Ellison is such a good, happy baby (except, apparently, at daycare, which makes me so sad I can't even write about it!). She is definitely a little monkey, and I think we are really going to have our hands full when she starts REALLY crawling and walking, but she is so much fun!!! She makes me smile and laugh more than I ever have in my life. I really could not have asked for a more wonderful little girl!!! In the past month she has grown up so much and learned so many awesome new things...I can't wait to see what she does next. Every month is more fun than the one before!

Wedding reception outfit!

Ellison's puppies, Violet and Kevin